Lydia Lassila has provided the inspirational story of the Winter Olympics. Image: Christine Rondeau http://www.flickr.com/photos/crondeau/

I’m inspired by people who keep going in spite of adversity. People like Lydia Lassila who ruptured her ACL in 2005 then, despite doing it again in 2006, went on to win the World Cup in 2008/09 and an Olympic gold medal in 2010.

But if that isn’t reason enough to be inspired by her tenacity and courage what she did at this year’s Winter Olympics is.

In her final jump Lassila chose to attempt something no woman has ever achieved before – a quad twisting triple somersault. (That’s a full-twisting somersault, followed by a double-twisting somersault, followed by another single-twisting somersault.)

She could have played it safe. Instead she chose to leave an indelible mark on Olympic records.

Had she not demanded of herself something so audacious the world could only have suspected that such a feat might be possible.

Not only did she show that it was possible but that true champions stretch themselves beyond their limits.